Go see a doc, sift through his BS and make a judgement call!
I watched a close friend be fine one day and buckled over a stretcher the next. Ultimately it took surgery.
If it is sciatic, dont put it on the back burner and dont piss it off!!!

I did damn near the same thing. I was stretching before a four mile run and suddenly it felt like my back was on fire and my left leg could barely support my weight and felt like I just took a bolt of lightning through it.

About a year later I was under the knife for a bi-level discectomy on L4-L5 and L5-S1. Most of the weakness and nerve pain is gone now (every once in a while I'll get something) but now I have pretty severe muscle and joint pain due to the catastrophic damage of having the muscle in my lower back cut completely through and then ripped wide open. There's still a dent near the middle of my scar thanks to the spreader they had to use.

Just a word of advice... TAKE IT EASY until you get the MRI done to see just how bad it is. My surgery was only supposed to take two hours. Ended up at a little over five hours with two surgeons (orthopedic and neurosurgeon who was basically just there to make sure no nerves were cut coming off my spinal cord). The neurosurgeon had to step in and remove pieces of the discs that were minced off from my grinding/extremely unhappy vertebrae from my spinal canal and were rubbing on my spinal cord.

I did chiro, acupuncture (Army is retarded), Physical Therapy, an attempt at pain management using pills (only alcohol can really relieve nerve pain like that...), injections and finally the surgery. Absolute last resort but my leg works like it should now and I don't scream uncontrollably when I move a certain way like I have Tourette's lol

That sounds a lot like what Mike went through. We were told to avoid Beaumont for the surgery because they really push to do fusions, which will cause the vertebra above and below the fusion to also fail quicker. I have a recommendation for a surgeon we really trusted (we went to multiple for their opinions before choosing).

Myself, I have had sciatic flare ups but usually after resting for a few days to a week it goes away. I had an MRI done and they basically said that if I don't manage my bulging disc (through keeping my core strong) I would end up needing a surgery also. I saw the same surgeon as Mike for my disc issue and he did not recommend surgery for me, so I wouldn't avoid seeing a doctor thinking they will want to cut you. If you can do any of the non surgical remedies and they work then you should be managing the issue moving forward like I do. I really regret not taking him to have the surgery sooner because the pain and disability was worse than the recovery pain from the surgery. He was disabled for months before the surgery but like I said was up walking the day of the surgery and was getting around really well after only a few days.

I have same issue with my right leg going numb or causing severe pain in my right thigh and calf. When I first hurt my back it was 3 visits a week for a couple weeks, 2 visits a week for a couple weeks and etc as it progressed going in less and less. Now I only go in for an adjustment every other month or so.

AFter the first week i started improving and feeling better real quick. But I am do for another adjustment.

No one wanted to operate on me, said i was to young in case something went wrong. I got addicted to Oxycontin for 10 years. But now Im off them. big time pain in my back and knees degerateve disc disease, artheritise and facet joint syndrome (what ever that is). put on alot of weight while being drugged. on disability from the Army since 1993 chyropractors do help

Without a chiro I wouldnt be walking eather today, that and lots of ice everyday. I go about once a week these days and he tunes me right up, sometimes after a few I skip a week, but usally after a week ive tweaked it back up. The key is finding someone who you are comfortable with, ask around for who your friends recommend, thats how I found my current. Even in my smaller town, there is still over 5 diffrent offices so picking the right one is a job in itself. Now that ive found one that knows my back, knows EXACTLY how to fix it everytime I wont be changing, but it did take me a few to get one i liked and it does take some time for them to learn your back and what you need. The pain for me is always there, have to watch when im lifting that both my feet are planted and level ground or im followed usally by a big pop and i cant stand up straight or barely breath, last time that happened was last snowmobile season, i got a rental stuck. Also I got a large yoga ball at home that I can fix most of my lower problems myself everynight, just roll back and forth on it stretching my lower out and makes the world of diffrence in how i sleep. Good luck and go get yourself some help!

Wow I think I'll try the ball method alot of you seem to use. I broke my spine in 2 places about 5 years ago and after seeing 4 neurosurgeons and 1 orthopedic spine specialist they all said they could do nothing for me as the nerves got permanently damaged when the spine broke. I live everyday with back pain and I have left foot drop and pain and numbness in my left leg. I also have 6 bulged disc , spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis of the spine. Apparently I had lived with the 6 bulged disc for quite some time. I try to do my back exercises but they always make me feel worse so the ball thing I might just try. Docs and our family chiropractor advise against me getting adjusted as they say I was lucky to not be totally paralyzed and to get adjusted I would be risking it . I was suprised to hear our family chiro agree with the docs on that issue.

im gonna try a chiro. i cant take any drugs, im a truck driver.
been living on advil and aleve for a week.

im hurtin bad. been working all week like this. cant stand up, have to lean on something.
im ok if i sit, lying down is the worst, totally un-bearable.
walking is tough. suprisingly jogging is not an issue.

Would this be similar to a problem my dad is having, but with his arm? Tons of pain, losing grip, mri shows nothing, muscle mass deteriorating in arm.

Btw, I don't think he drinks any water, unless it is in drink mix or alcohol.

He had been going to chiro, I keep telling him to stop sleeping on the damn couch... Been sleeping on it for 7-8 years. Now that the divorce is final you would think he would go sleep in the brand new bed he bought... Nope

Would this be similar to a problem my dad is having, but with his arm? Tons of pain, losing grip, mri shows nothing, muscle mass deteriorating in arm.

Btw, I don't think he drinks any water, unless it is in drink mix or alcohol.

He had been going to chiro, I keep telling him to stop sleeping on the damn couch... Been sleeping on it for 7-8 years. Now that the divorce is final you would think he would go sleep in the brand new bed he bought... Nope

Sent from my htc evo

Well for one MRI's are not 100% accurate my first MRI didn't show the breaks in my spine , also had a MRI not show a torn rotator cuff way back in 2002. I also have numbness and tingling in my arms and hands with loss of grip and feeling. I have been told it's caused by the bulged disc in my neck causing misalignment of the vertabrae and putting pressure on the nerves. So if your dad is having issues with his arms and hands it could be nerves being impinged in his neck as I have. They can do nerve function test to determine which nerves are affected. I have had the emg done several times as well as the SSEP (somato sensory evoked potential) test. The loss of muscle mass is called muscular atrophy I have it in my left leg. The nerves don't send a signal to the muscles so the muscles start dying off. I try to execise every day on my elyptical machine and go for walks as much as I can to try and keep some muscle tone but at times the leg just gives out and down I go . I have ended up tearing up my left shoulder from falling down the stairs at home. I would suggest more follow up with his doctor or ask for a second opinion.

Well for one MRI's are not 100% accurate my first MRI didn't show the breaks in my spine , also had a MRI not show a torn rotator cuff way back in 2002. I also have numbness and tingling in my arms and hands with loss of grip and feeling. I have been told it's caused by the bulged disc in my neck causing misalignment of the vertabrae and putting pressure on the nerves. So if your dad is having issues with his arms and hands it could be nerves being impinged in his neck as I have. They can do nerve function test to determine which nerves are affected. I have had the emg done several times as well as the SSEP (somato sensory evoked potential) test. The loss of muscle mass is called muscular atrophy I have it in my left leg. The nerves don't send a signal to the muscles so the muscles start dying off. I try to execise every day on my elyptical machine and go for walks as much as I can to try and keep some muscle tone but at times the leg just gives out and down I go . I have ended up tearing up my left shoulder from falling down the stairs at home. I would suggest more follow up with his doctor or ask for a second opinion.

He's had probably four opinion's...

Right now her is just continuing to go to the chiro.

The funny thing is I kept telling him even before he went to see doctors, everything that you said pretty much and I still stand behind it being the most correct.

Oh well, stubborn dutch guy that thinks his son doesn't now jack about shit.

im gonna try a chiro. i cant take any drugs, im a truck driver.
been living on advil and aleve for a week.

im hurtin bad. been working all week like this. cant stand up, have to lean on something.
im ok if i sit, lying down is the worst, totally un-bearable.
walking is tough. suprisingly jogging is not an issue.

anyone know a good chiro in oakland county?

I know a great Chiropractor in Fenton. I won't go anywhere else. If you don't find a good recommendation let me know.

Wow I think I'll try the ball method alot of you seem to use. I broke my spine in 2 places about 5 years ago and after seeing 4 neurosurgeons and 1 orthopedic spine specialist they all said they could do nothing for me as the nerves got permanently damaged when the spine broke. I live everyday with back pain and I have left foot drop and pain and numbness in my left leg. I also have 6 bulged disc , spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis of the spine. Apparently I had lived with the 6 bulged disc for quite some time. I try to do my back exercises but they always make me feel worse so the ball thing I might just try. Docs and our family chiropractor advise against me getting adjusted as they say I was lucky to not be totally paralyzed and to get adjusted I would be risking it . I was suprised to hear our family chiro agree with the docs on that issue.

That sucks

Not much you can do, give the ball and foam rollers a try and keep stretching as best as possible, do all the PT exercises you have been given and good luck. Sometimes you just can't do much

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93yj06unlimited

Well for one MRI's are not 100% accurate my first MRI didn't show the breaks in my spine , also had a MRI not show a torn rotator cuff way back in 2002. I also have numbness and tingling in my arms and hands with loss of grip and feeling. I have been told it's caused by the bulged disc in my neck causing misalignment of the vertabrae and putting pressure on the nerves. So if your dad is having issues with his arms and hands it could be nerves being impinged in his neck as I have. They can do nerve function test to determine which nerves are affected. I have had the emg done several times as well as the SSEP (somato sensory evoked potential) test. The loss of muscle mass is called muscular atrophy I have it in my left leg. The nerves don't send a signal to the muscles so the muscles start dying off. I try to execise every day on my elyptical machine and go for walks as much as I can to try and keep some muscle tone but at times the leg just gives out and down I go . I have ended up tearing up my left shoulder from falling down the stairs at home. I would suggest more follow up with his doctor or ask for a second opinion.

Doesn't have to be nerve impingement in the spine, it can also be other joints (shoulders are famous for this, I have this issue in my left shoulder). Otherwise pretty good information

That sounds a lot like what Mike went through. We were told to avoid Beaumont for the surgery because they really push to do fusions, which will cause the vertebra above and below the fusion to also fail quicker. I have a recommendation for a surgeon we really trusted (we went to multiple for their opinions before choosing).

I had my surgery done at Beaumont in Royal Oak. Never once did my surgeon push for a fusion. I have nothing but great things to say about my surgeon and that hospital. I agree fully that you should get a minimum of two opinions before deciding on surgery. I had several from doctors affiliated with different hospitals. They all said surgery was my only option. I do not regret going to Beaumont.

Not much you can do, give the ball and foam rollers a try and keep stretching as best as possible, do all the PT exercises you have been given and good luck. Sometimes you just can't do much

Doesn't have to be nerve impingement in the spine, it can also be other joints (shoulders are famous for this, I have this issue in my left shoulder). Otherwise pretty good information

You are quite correct I just mentioned the inpingement in the neck as that's what I have and 4 other people I know had it as well . They all opted for surgery, one is now blind, one is now paralyzed, my Uncle said he would never do it again as he's no better off and gets extreme headches. The fourth one said she wishes she would have had it done along time ago. So 3 out of 4 made me decide not to have the surgery on the neck myself.

I had my surgery done at Beaumont in Royal Oak. Never once did my surgeon push for a fusion. I have nothing but great things to say about my surgeon and that hospital. I agree fully that you should get a minimum of two opinions before deciding on surgery. I had several from doctors affiliated with different hospitals. They all said surgery was my only option. I do not regret going to Beaumont.

That is really good. We were told to steer clear of that place though. We ended up with a surgeon we really liked.

One thing we were told by both the surgeon and the chiropractor who saw Mike was that they should see the MRI before deciding treatment. Depending on the issue and the severity if it is a bulged disc the adjustments can make it worse. Mike wouldn't do chiropractic again, it couldnt and didnt help him, but it is also bad for his specific condition.